Butter Tarts

When I was I high school I worked some summers for the Confederation Centre in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, where the musical Anne of Green Gables was staged. One year I worked front-of-house as well as in the Centre’s charming little Courtyard Café.

It was exciting for my 16-year-old self to wait on the singers and dancers (so glamourous!), and to meet the many tourists from the States and beyond, but I think that the real pleasure of working at the Courtyard Cafe was befriending its pastry chef.

Far and away the most desirable dessert we offered was the butter tart, a rustic pastry crust filled with a brown sugar/vanilla/raisin mixture. I never liked raisins before that summer, but they became, when nestled in a butter tart, a delight.

Here’s a recipe that I hand-wrote into my old (circa 1980s) Silver Palate cookbook. I know that it comes from Canada, so it’s the real deal; I just can’t remember its provenance.

Enjoy!

Pastry:

2 c. white flour
¾ tsp salt
1 c. or 250 ml Crisco Shortening
4 tbsp water

Filling:

½ c. lightly packed brown sugar
½ c. corn syrup
¼ c. or 50 ml Golden Crisco
1 egg slightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp salt
¾ c raisins

Procedure:

Follow pastry recipe on package(!).
Put pastry in muffin cups.
Fill shells with raisins (cover bottom).
Fill 2/3 full with syrup mixture.
Bake at 425 degrees F for 12-15 minutes.
Don’t overbake!